These miters are taking over my life.
Square #7
Square #8
I don’t know – the light is not right on these photographs. The colors are much richer and deeper. I have 8 squares finished. I took the photographs and put them together and got this:
Click on it to make it bigger. I’m kind of sorry I put them together. I think it was too early. I’m having so much fun planning and knitting square after square just knowing in my heart that they would all go together in the end, and now I feel like it’s died a little for me. I don’t know why, it just has. Maybe I need a little break – but I’m so in love with the next square already and the three squares after that and I just don’t know what to say.
Maybe it’s the photographs. I think they’re a bit dark and the color isn’t true. There is so much lacking in the photographs. I’m really feeling my limitations. I’m sorry for the downer post – trust me when I tell you that 40 minutes ago I was feeling GREAT about this project. I think I hit my first wall.
Hang in there girl — they are LOVELY! You just need to step back a moment.
Thanks for sharing.
I’m delurking to say that you should still feel GREAT about this project — it looks super fantastic in these photos, so I’m sure it’s even better in person.
Fabulous work! Keep mitering on!
You know what’s kinda funny? As this miter fest was growing I just wasn’t feeling it. Okay – nice colors, great combos, but I didn’t get it. BUT NOW – o, man, Cara. It’s gonna be awesome! I think it’s the multiplier thing – more keeps making way more. Maybe the partial reality is not living up to your expectations because the rest isn’t there yet – you have it all in your head. It is going to kick some serious tush! Hang tough.
That is so beautiful. One question, about how big is each miter, or each square? Will four squares across be large enough for a King throw, or will it have to be larger? I really like that you deviated from your rules for the one square, I like that little randomness. And, as I suspected the bright purple, light green is wonderful. You have such a great eye for color, I envy that. You and your blanket inspire me.
After this post, I’m more excited than ever to see it all done. I do understand about hitting the wall, though. Just keep knitting. Knit through the pain.
The photos all together look awesome. I’ve never wanted to make a blanket/afgan but this project kinda makes me want to. Probably doesn’t hurt that I love to color combos you’re coming up with.
It looks great, stop bad mouthing yourself. also, remember that this will eventually be the size of a king size bed — you don’t want to go too bright or you will inflict retinal damage. Currently I am knitting a shawl out of some of the brighest green you can imagine (I dyed it myself), so it’s not like I don’t get the bright color thing, but rember how much impact the thing will have when its ginormous!
Your blog is a lot of fun. I read you every day.
Valerie
I love square #8 for some reason.
Remember, knit what you love!
I love ’em!! If you stare at them long enough they start moving – very trompe l’oeil-ish.
Knit through that wall! You are my inspiration (my 1st batch of yarn arrived yesterday) and I cannot wait to make my own. Your blanket will be gorgeous. Remember: the whole is greater than sum of the parts it’s made of. (Totally stolen from Pippin, my favorite B’way musical, which just happens to be chock full of good advice!) And just think of all of the lovely miter squares being created because of yours.
It really is lovely. You have nothing to worry about! But if it gets to you too much, think about how much fun you’re having with each individual square. The fun you’ve been having with it has to be a reward in itself.
The squares are absolutely beautiful. However, I really hope you like sewing..and I don’t know if I’d save all the sewing til the end if I were you. I’m just saying, my blanket’s not going to cover a twin size bed and I’ve been seaming for weeks (feels like months). Vive mattress stitch!
They look great! And i’m catching the miter itch thru the computer monitor.
push past that wall b/c this project is totally awesome! i’m following it religiously and totally looking at my stash and i’m finding it seriously lacking. now i want a mitred blankie of my own…
I was inspired by your earlier pictures to start making this blanket. I am having the same problem, where I love each block but get dissapointed when I put them all together. But I also think it’s going to be fun at the end to lay them all out on the floor and keep moving them around until it meshes. Could even be an excuse to have people over for tea or cocktails.
You are making crave TCC! Those are gorgeous, Cara. Keep the faith. Trust your knitting.
They are breathtaking…
so delete it and stop thinking about it! 🙂 seriously. delete the together pic. we won’t mind. don’t block yourself up, i am loving the square pics!
It really is looking great – are you gonna’ mattress stich or single crochet together? Okay – I’m stepping way outside my area of expertise BUT is there going to some kind of pattern to the finished project (e.g. rotating/alternating the “special” miter in each block) or a very random collection of fabulous colors unified only by 1) the 4 color/block rule AND a fabulous border? I think your putting the blocks together this early on is almost like how a quilter uses a board to arrange their blocks to be “sure” they get the pattern right – since I don’t think you’re going for that type of pattern maybe you shouldn’t do that until you have all the blocks done – like the blanket that church is auctioning off??? Like I said – out of my area of expertise – just sayin’
The middle of any project is always the hardest. Keep the faith.
Delurking for my first post, I am really liking the miters. As a whole they are working extremely well…optical movement is there and you are possibly just too close to the project. Also, I have a question, which may have been answered in the archives but I am fairly new to your blog, what is the yarn and colorway of your Picture of the Week? I absolutely love it…to the point of Needing to have it! Thanks.
I think they are great. I have been wondering what they are all looking like together. I am getting more excited to see the end product.
The miters are worth the insanity — such a cool color study, so much happening with the pattern. Hang in there, take a breath, and knit six more rows. Call us in the morning 😉
you need a quick miter break. they all look super! it was just one quick moment that you hit a wall. but you’re over that a second later and on to the next square. it’s looking great!
Cara, hopefully this will cheer you up. I just finished a Lizard Ridge afghan where I knit the squares in all different colors of Kureyon with NO PLANNING WHATSOEVER about how they would all look together in the end… and it really turned out pretty darn good, if I do say so myself.
http://www.beautyschooldropout.net/archives/2007/02/fo_lizard_ridge.html
So don’t doubt yourself so much!
I’m with al. Delete the pic, delete the post, pretend it neeeeeeeeever happened. Convince yourself that because you never really sewed ’em up, they were never together.
If it’s the pics that are killin it for ya, I agree with al, delete (or at least move them someplace where you have to search them out to see them). If it’s seeing them all laid out, then keep ’em in a pile! lol Or perhaps, you just need a break? Whatever it is I doubt you’ll not finish this, your passion for this project is more than evident (and rightly so–the miters are FAB!). AND… you are oh so timely, if those colors don’t scream Spring! SPRING! SPRING!!!! I don’t know what does. G.L. with the wall, hope it’s only a pony.
hmm. I can see why you think you aren’t happy with it, but you have aproximately 8bajillion squares left to go to make them all meet up and work together. I would worry less and make more miters. I personally have the overwhelming urge to put the second-from-the-bottom-left with the two-on-the-top right together to match up that mulberry purple and make a fakey middle square to go with the the other actually matched squares.
I think it looks beautiful!
I think the squares are all fantastic, but maybe you need a step back? It’s a lot of color, perhaps something monochromatic will help bust the wall down? The opposite was my stalemate. I had to get some color into my repetoire. You’ll get past it soon I’m sure. How can you not? The squares are so great! Limitations? Pshaw.
Go work on something else and come back and you will see how gorgeous they all are.
I love your mitres! I find them exciting, and just seeing them makes me want to play with them, move them around and reposition them to see what happens to the colours when they’re next to other colours. I had to restrain myself from opening up photoshop. 🙂
But I agree with the people above: if the together pic isn’t working for you, delete it!
NOW you’re feeling like you’ve hit a wall? 32+ miters into it? Silly knitter, you just need some sleep… 🙂
They look really beautiful, Cara, real color-art. Even if you take a short hiatus, you will finish this project, and treasure the result for many years.
PS: They kind of remind me of your group shots of jaywalkers– no matter what colour is next to the other, they’re such wonders of knitting genius and yarny goodness that you *enjoy* the fact that they all coexist in the same moment.
Can I just say, I love your squares and the pictures you take of them. But everytime I am thinking “the poor girl will have to sew them all together in the end”.
i think you should stick to some layout rules too- ie always put the two MATCHING squares either right next to each other or diagonal. don’t mix up the placement. the more random your rules become- the more the composition feels chaotic and unbalanced. your squares are beautiful – just need a little more harmony and a little less random-ness. in my opinion…
All the squares look great. So far I’ve been resisting the siren song of the all-mighty miter, but I may have to succumb to peer pressure now.
Oh I know how that can happen-keep up the squares-I love what you’re doing.
gorgeous. they are each like little works of art! you have such an artist eye that at the end you will make perfect sense of them all and have a stunning masterpiece. enjoy!
Delurking to say that your miters are FANTASTIC. I love looking at them so much, you have such a great eye for colour.
I’m not surprised that you’ve hit a wall; all that thinking and creativity must be exhausting!
Thank you so much for your blog and for being so generous with sharing your thoughts and creative endeavours!
Boy am I late to the game! It may have killed for you to see the full (but it really isn’t full is it) picture…but for us it really brought it to life. We, who aren’t there with you as you work with the color and can’t share in the fun, can now see your obsession. The wall might be the info overload I filled you with this morning.
don’t you stop. KEEP GOING! they look great! but i know the feeling of hitting a wall… but you must KNIT.
Thanks to your posts, I’ve now been bitten by the mitered square bug too. You must keep going!
I LOVE the diagonal line pattern that is developing from all the miters.
No! You can’t stop now! Where will I go to get my daily dose of miters? They go so well with my morning coffee! The color and caffeine combo never fails to brighten my day. Seriously though, every time you post a new square, I think, “this one is my favorite!” and I can’t wait to see them all sewn up. Maybe that’s the problem, that the colors aren’t all rightnexttoeachother. They have little strips of floor in between them. Then again, maybe a little break will help.
They all looks so beautiful, even if the colors aren’t true! And, they more I look at your lovely miters, the more I want some of my own!
Hang in there! I love watching the squares come together and the blanket is going to look fabulous once you’re done.
Cara, I think it looks gorgeous! I love your color choices – they are great. I tell you what, if you still don’t like it when you get it done – you can send it to me 😉
Don’t get down – trust me, it is a gorgeous start!
Uhhhh.. honestly- I wasn’t into the miters- until you showed them all together!
Now, I like them. Like a comfy rainbow…… Take a break- knit something solid to relax the eye- then get back at it woman! Maybe some simple cabley cotton wool blend thing?
(sorry- just bought cascade sierra for my second CPH…and am working a beautiful, tiny baby aran! Of course- what’s on my needles shoud be on everyones!)
It’s looking fabulous and putting them together has made it seem real now. I do love #8.
It seems to me that you have a lot of pink and purple going on right now. Maybe that’s the problem? How about some yellows and oranges? Just suggestions
I wonder if “the wall” is that by putting them together in the pictures, the squares went from being individual pieces of art, to A Big Project?
It’s looking mighty fine, Cara.
Don’t worry, it’s going to be fine! Think of it, you’re only a small part into the colorcombinations!
I have a question; can you give me a measurement for a finished square, and an estimate of how much yarn it approximately takes to knit one? You’ve completely inspired me to knit something similar, but since I need to order this yarn from overseas, I don’t want to run the risk of ordering too little (or tons too much)!
Thanks so much!!
Stop this nonsense – it looks great and we have no way to compare and we find it absolutely amazing… Keep on !!!
Even if the photos are too dark, it still looks amazing. Really. Inspiring.
Wow. Just … wow. Before this they were just pretty colors, pretty squares. Together they are simply beautiful! I had promised myself I’d finish several project before starting something new but after seeing those wonderful squares together I’m seriously thinking of starting one of my own. I hope you find your joy in them soon!
Genius always doubts itself. That is why it is genius. (Okay, so I just made that up, but it sounds good, and hot damn, these squares are genius so don’t despair.)
PS: I yelled out an “OH FUCKING EH” when I saw that you commented on my post the other day (Hey, I’m Canadian, what can I say? It’s the Canadian version of “NO FUCKING WAY”.) Also, I know you like to curse, so I thought it the most appropriate of all responses. In any case, I wanted to say thanks for giving me reason to yell with such profane glee 🙂
The miters look wonderful and we all know the blanket will be beautiful. But, you might need a bit of time away from it, so you can feel the love again. I thought of what you wrote about a few weeks ago, all of us just have days or things that don’t sit well. But often the next day, you wonder why did I feel so yucky about that?
Not a downer post. That is going to be one kick ass blanket. Your enthusiasm is contagious. Mitered square may be my summertime commuting-to-work project.
I think this is going to be an exercise in “square movement”… I do this with quilting ALL.THE.TIME. You make the squares in ‘shades’ or ‘values’ and then you move them around until they look right. This usualy involves me leaving them on the living room floor for a day or two, sometimes you walk by and Whammo! Perfect arrangement. Keep going.
See, I wasn’t to psyched about the miters UNTIL I saw them together. I know I’m not you, but my heart skipped a beat when I saw how cool they look together! Keep the faith…
Don’t worry, you just put them together too soon, and because you have a limited amount of squares right now, you feel like your results will be limited too. Keep imagining and just make more. It will turn out great, it’s the same process when you make a “random” quilt, they don’t seem to look good at first, but when they are done, they are awesome.
Hm… maybe look at it in the quilt making process. This is your chance to look at them all and go “you know, I need more red” and then you could base a square off of red. Same with darks and lights. I think it is looking awesome, myself. 🙂
Aw, honey. You know you’re going to have an Arrange
Fest when you have them all together anyway, and it will change a gazillion times before you seam, so keep on a-knittin’ till your eyes cross. It’s going to be beautiful, and you’ve only just started. Everything you’ve done involving putting colours together in blankets has rocked the house, and this is going to be just as fantastic.
Wow! Gorgeous!! The second picture is my favorite of any miters I have seen anywhere! It will be a gorgeous blanket, for sure. 🙂
It’s gorgeous! Keep going! Keep posting those photos. I just know knitters around the continent are planning their first mitre square blanket……
Do Not Stop!!!!
It looks F*^%ing AWESOME!
Thay are so beautiful! You are just too tired at the moment… Put them away for a while (like for tonight) and I’m sure they call for you again. Follow your heart like you have done so far, don’t push, enjoy and you’ll feel the love and joy and then you just can’t help it, new squares keep popping up.
Please don’t stop. I love your miters. They are so beautiful. You have a great eye for color and I want to make a blanket like that for my very own.
They’re lovely, especially #8.
I just finished my own mitered squares project (a tank top from Elann.com free patterns) and I have to say, it got really hard to keep knitting in places. It seemed that there would be no end to the squares.
But, they’re done now, and I love the outcome. Keep on goin’, and I’m sure you’ll get to the same happy ending.
Wow Cara,
They look like they belong in a Gee’s Bend quilt! Beautiful. Keep ’em coming…
Cara, I started to read the comments to see if what I was going to be said had been said and guess what — it had. I’m with Gretch. I wasn’t feeling it, but now that I’ve clicked your collection of pics big, I can’t live without it. I’m smitten. So there. Really nice work … and it might replace Lizard Ridge as my wedding afghan. It’s a summer wedding, and no one want’s wool for their June wedding, do they? They’d much rather have cotton, right? Plus, my LR would look really great in my new family room… I’m off to get me some Cotton Classic.
I read thru some of the other comments and looked back at the very first post where you talked about the miters. I agree, today’s picture doesn’t do it for me either… So, take a moment and look back at the first post where you had the 5 complete blocks together in one picture – it looks wonderful!! Keep enjoying the individual blocks. I’m sure you’ll put all of them together in a way that is pleasing to you and to everyone else!
Blame the photographs and just keep going! If you’re still loving the miters, then go for it! I think they’re beautiful
I think they’re looking gorgeous! I met the Mason-Dixon gals at Abundant Yarn here in Portland last night, and showed them the “moderne” that I’m knitting up from STR heavyweight – they correctly deduced that I was inspired by your log cabin-ing… I told them that I’m not even halfway done with the currently blanket, and already your eye for color and your beautiful photography have me yearning to miter. This morning, I ordered up 47 hanks of Cotton Classic from two different vendors, and 32 hanks of a substitute-which-will-not-be-named from another place which Kay suggested. Do me a favor and take a break from the blanket knitting when you get this one done, OK? 🙂
I’m not a miter fan, but I’ve been enjoying your enthusiasm for your project. That said, I wonder if it has something to do with your original inspiration. You loved that one square in the blanket and you took its composition as your rule for your squares. But now that particular composition was unique in a blanket of many different kinds of squares. Now that each of your miters shares that same composition, they don’t stand out the same way.
Does this make any sense?
Anyway, first wall, how are you going to handle it? Pause, keep on, or experiment some more?
That is going to be one hell of a blanket. I just can’t wait to hear about the fun it will be when you sew them all togather and weave in the ends! Or are you doing that as you go?
They look wonderful. In the group photo, I imagine the two purple squares further apart, maybe the greens separated a bit more. Don’t worry, there is some arrangement that will make it fall together just perfectly. It just needs a few more squares and a little bit of faith.
Your picture reminds me of the stack and stacks of Gee’s Bend postage stamps I have used up since they came out. I think it’s time for knitting stamps and your photos are the perfect ones to use. (Come on, what’s more exciting: Cara’s Knitting or Star Wars stamps???) I’m writing to the U.S. Postmaster right after I play another game of Snood.
I love #8 too. Putting them all together made this mitered square project more interesting for me. The pop corner really makes them wonderful.
Maybe you need to step away for a moment. Sometimes when we have our head down and focused so intently on something it is jarring when we shift our gaze.
They already look great – but once you have a few more, you will have more options for playing around until the colour balance hits the sweet spot (and it will). Keep the faith, and trust your instincts.
Just delurking to say they look GREAT. Maybe you are just suffering of temporary mitered square OD. I so want to knit those squares, but I’m kind of afraid that if I’ll start, I can’t stop….
I’m very impressed. Those look beautiful. I made one of these and it came out atrocious, but the fault was all mine – poor internet-ordered yarn choice.
Keep on keepin on, Cara. You know your eye for color is brilliant, right?
They are great!!!!!
The potential for this project is still there. I agree with another’s comment to just delete the combo pic and keep pushing through to knit more squares.
I am being 100% sincere when I say that I almost couldn’t breathe when I saw all of the squares together like that–my breath caught and I was struck by all the color. Just stunning!
I think your blanket is coming along great! I love your choice of colors. You inspired me to knit my first mitered square. I can’t wait to knit more of them!
It looks Great! Don’t stop now…You can do this!
Marly 🙂
http://www.knitthing.blogspot.com
Push down that wall, get over your bummed-out feelings, and eat a little ice cream! These mitred squares are down right fabulous. I love popping over here and just gazing at the colors and your combinations. For a change of pace, why not knit a 4 square that is twice as big or half as big to add change of scale?
hi there, delurking to tell you that I love those squares, and all the possibilities in pairing them up. the green ones are fabulous, as are the light blue/aqua ones. Keep going! 😀
Are you kidding me? That looks so amazing. So amazing that I went to the library and got Mason Dixon so that I could start my own insanity. . . .I however am going to use the new cotton ease I think despite the limit in colors.
I think it is okay to hit a wall. That will make the project so much sweeter in the end, don’t you think?
And I absolutely cannot wait to see the finished piece. Can. Not. Wait.
Oh no!!! They are beautiful!!!! Pictures NEVER do justice to our crafts. Hang in there and know that we are all cheering you on. I love all the colors. Keep knitting those miters. 🙂
I sympathize, I had a skein of Socks that Rock and no photograph would do it justice, I tried in different lights, but no dice. I am so in love with your squares. Maybe it’s the putting them all together. Just keep them separate, continue having fun and worry about what square will go with what later on. My experience of knitting two multi-colored blankets, one squares and one log cabin, is that the going gets tougher when the color choices become more limited – you’ve done that already, that doesn’t look good next to that. You can knit through this!
If you’re going to have something take over your life, you could do a lot worse than your charming miters! They look fabulous!
Hang on in there! The miters look amazing, I especially love #8. They look absolutely fantastic laid out, too- just picture your whole bed topped with the colors and use that as your motivations- keep knitting!
dear c,
beautiful, wonderful, perfect color selections…
keep going…work that cara magic.
peg
How can you not be ecstatic about this project?! It almost begs to be framed. Keep going, you must keep us drooling.
They are spectacular! Keep on with the project!
The composite photo of the squares shows an outstanding combination, to me. I love it. Eat some comfort food. Keep knitting….you are in the middle of a true-ly inspired project.
Get in the groove! Stay in the groove!
I love the codification of the rule about how you MUST CAST ON when you finish a miter. Glad to have that clarified.
Miss you in Oregon. xoxoxo Kay
they all look gorgeous! Keep theknitting up and you will soon fall back in love with them. Just no putting the squares together again until you are ready to sew them all up! 🙂 If you dont want them, send them and your stash to me, Ill finish them for you and have a lovely blanket for my bed! HAAH
I know that feeling. You put a finish line in front of you by putting them together. Not a time line but a what it will look like line. Half the fun of knitting them is the anticipation of putting them together later and all the random possibilities. Kind of something to knit towards um like not knowing if it’s a boy or a girl kind of thing.
How’s this for a plan? As you can see I’m not the only one who thinks your squares are BEAUTIFUL, and it doesn’t seem at all unusual that you would be tired and overwhelmed by all of those color choices and all of the knitting. So while you take some time to rest and refresh, we can all gaze in wonder at your lovely miter squares, and before you know it, something is going to catch your eye and give you an idea for your next color combo, and you’ll be running for the needles again!
Hi! I’ve just been all through your archives over the past week or so and wanted to delurk to tell you what beautiful projects you take on (I SO want to post the pic of your log cabin squares hanging from the umbrella on the beach on my computer desktop!)
I was thinking of knitting kneesocks like your Koigu ones (variegated legs, solid heel/toe) and since I’ve never knit with Koigu, I figured I’d start with your color and look at others. Doing a search for your colorway (the Koigu P852), I came across this: http://www.nooz.com/story/C-EAy5faWf-RFffn There’s no mention of you or your site, I wasn’t sure if this kind of thing was legit (didn’t strike me that way!)
Anyway, just wanted to say hi and keep knitting those miters – they’re inspirational!
I think the photos look beautiful together…I actually haven’t even read the whole post yet, I was just scanning through and saw that picture and had to stop. I think if they didn’t have the gray of the background around them it would be easier to visualize. Try to picture the squares right next to each other without that gray in between them…Or better yet crop them tighter so you can see the colors right next to each other, maybe that will help.
My Goodness Cara, they are JUST Gorgeous!!!!
You are quite an inspiration! I really enjoyed seeing the squares..what beauty! Thanks so much for sharing them….and Keep up the good work!
I love your blog!